SATB and Organ
c. 32′
Time and Tides was commissioned by Eltham Choral Society, and they gave the premiere in July 2024 at St Alfège Chuch in Greenwich, directed by Max Barley and accompanied by Matthew Jorysz.
The work is an exploration of Greenwich, where Eltham Choral Society is based, and each movement takes a different Greenwich-related theme. There is also an overarching theme of time conveyed through both the texts and the musical motifs. In the first movement, one of the lines of text reads ‘a time to be born and a time to die’, and the subsequent movements play out this narrative, following a trajectory of themes from birth to death.
The second movement is about Queen Elizabeth I when she was a young ‘queen of twenty’. Queen Elizabeth I was born in Greenwich, so this movement represents birth/youth. The third movement is a sea shanty, a type of work song sung during monotonous, repetitive and rhythmic jobs on ships. This represents adulthood, as does the fourth movement which is again about Queen Elizabeth I, but when she was older and ‘plan’d for Britain’s good’.
The fifth movement is split into two distinct sections; in the first section, the studying/working aspect of adulthood is predominant. However, in the second section, it is as if the narrator of the poem has gained wisdom in his later adulthood. The sixth movement wraps up this trajectory: the text is about old age and death, yet it does not end sadly or uncertainly, but with very true faith and trust in God. Despite being about death, this movement, and thus the whole work, ends with a tangible feeling of peace and hope.
Throughout the piece, both rhythmic and melodic motifs have been used to represent the passage of time. The melodic motif, which is also sometimes used harmonically and is transposed depending on the key, sounds like a bell chime; and the rhythmic motif is the word ‘TIME’ spelt out in Morse code: _ .. _ _ .
Individual movements, along with a short explanation of their Greenwich-related theme, can be found here:
I. Time: Time (Greenwich Mean Time)
The first and last movements bookend the music by both having time as their Greenwich-related theme. This strengthens the overarching theme of time, and allows the listener to arrive back at the opening theme but seen and felt in a different way.
II. The Lady Oriana: Royalty (Queen Elizabeth I)
‘The Lady Oriana’ refers to Queen Elizabeth I, who was born at Greenwich Palace. This movement makes use of a polyphonic style reminiscent of music from the Renaissance period; Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) was one of the most noted composers of his time, and he is allegedly buried in St. Alfège Churchyard.
III. A Drop of Nelson’s Blood: Maritime Links
Greenwich has a rich history of ties with the navy and the sea, playing host to the National Maritime Museum, the Old Royal Naval College and the Cutty Sark. Lord Nelson’s body lay in state in Greenwich Hospital for three days when he was brought back to England in 1805, making the choice of text for the sea shanty in the third movement an easy one: ‘A drop of Nelson’s blood wouldn’t do us any harm’.
IV. One Tree Hill: Nature (Greenwich Park)
The fourth movement combines the themes of nature and royalty. The text of this movement is about ‘Fair Eliza’ – once again referring to Queen Elizabeth I. This text is inscribed on a bench on One Tree Hill in Greenwich Park, with an expansive view across the city. Once the two verses of text have been sung, the organ takes over for a pastoral-like reflection on the melody which has been introduced by the choir.
V. When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer: Astronomy (The Royal Observatory)
The Royal Observatory was established in 1675, making 2025 its 350th anniversary. This movement sets a poem by Walt Whitman (1819-1892) about an astronomer who, having spent too long inside a lecture room talking and learning about the stars and planets, goes outside to gaze at them in awe and wonder – experiencing them for himself.
VI. Even Such is Time: Time
Alongside its theme of time, the sixth movement has further links with Greenwich: the text was written by Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), who held various political positions during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. There is a statue of him near the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
